1981

1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar.

Millennium:	2nd millennium
Centuries:	19th century – 20th century – 21st century
Decades:	1950s  1960s  1970s  – 1980s –  1990s  2000s  2010s
Years:	1978 1979 1980 – 1981 – 1982 1983 1984

Events

• January 20 – Hostages from the Iran hostage crisis are released at the same time when Ronald Reagan is inaugurated for the first time as President of the United States.
• January 21 – The first DeLorean automotive is released in Northern Ireland.
• January 27 – The Indonesian passenger ship Tamponas 2 catches fire and capsizes in the Java Sea, killing 580.
• January 29 – Adolfo Suárez resigns as Prime Minister of Spain.
• February 4 – Gro Harlem Brundtland becomes Prime Minister of Norway.
• February 8 – Polish Prime Minister Józef Pinkowski resigns and is replaced by General Wojciech Jaruzelski.
• February 25 – Adolfo Suárez leaves his office as Prime Minister of Spain.
• March 30 - Shortly after being inaugurated, John Hinckley, Jr. tries to assassinate President Ronald Reagan. He survives the attack.
• July 29 – Lady Diana Spencer marries Charles, Prince of Wales.
• November 9 – Céline Dion's first album is released in Canada.

Births

• January 4 – Alicia Keys, American singer
• January 28 – Elijah Wood, American actor
• January 31 – Justin Timberlake, American singer and actor
• February 11 – Kelly Rowland, American singer
• February 24 – Lleyton Hewitt, Australian tennis player
• March 3 – Justin Gabriel, South African professional wrestler
• April 28 – Jessica Alba, actress
• June 5 – Sebastien Lefebvre, Canadian Musician-Simple Plan
• June 7 – Anna Kournikova, Russian tennis player
• June 9 – Natalie Portman, Israeli actress
• July 30 – Hope Solo, American goal keeper
• August 8 – Roger Federer, Swiss tennis player
• September 4 – Beyoncé Knowles, American singer and actress
• September 8 – Jonathan Taylor Thomas, American actor
• September 26 – Serena Williams, American tennis player
• October 31 – Frank Iero MCR
• December 2 – Britney Spears, American singer and actress
• December 27 – Patrick Sharp, Canadian professional ice hockey player

Deaths

• May 11 - Bob Marley
• June 28 – Terry Fox
• November 25 - Jack Albertson

Movies released

• Absence of Malice
• An American Werewolf in London
• Any Which Way You Can
• Arthur
• The Boat Is Full
• Bustin' Loose
• Chariots of Fire
• Escape to Victory
• Excaliber
• For Your Eyes Only
• The Four Seasons
• The Fox and the Hound
• The French Lieutenant's Woman
• Friday the 13th, Part 2
• The Great Muppet Caper
• Halloween II
• Heaven's Gate
• Mommie Dearest
• Omen III: The Final Conflict
• On Golden Pond
• Only When I Laugh
• Pennies From Heaven
• Pixote
• Quest for Fire
• Ragtime
• Raiders of the Lost Ark
• Reds
• Sogni d'oro
• Stevie
• Stripes
• Superman II
• Tarzan, the Ape Man
• They Don't Wear Black Tie

Hit songs

• "The Tide Is High" – Blondie
• "Celebration" – Kool & The Gang (2)
• "9 To 5" – Dolly Parton (2)
• "I Love A Rainy Night" – Eddie Rabbitt (2)
• "Keep On Loving You" REO Speedwagon (1)
• "Rapture" – Blondie (2)
• "Kiss On My List" – Daryl Hall & John Oates (3)
• "Morning Train (9 To 5)" – Sheena Easton
• "Bette Davis Eyes" – Kim Carnes
• "Stars On 45 Medley" – Stars On 45 (1)
• "The One That You Love" – Air Supply (1)
• "Jessie's Girl" – Rick Springfield
• "Endless Love" – Diana Ross & Lionel Richie (9)
• "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" – Christopher Cross (3)
• "Private Eyes" – Daryl Hall & John Oates
• "Physical" – Olivia Newton-John

New books

• Ill Seen Ill Said – Samuel Beckett
• Arabian Nights and Days – Naguib Mahfouz
• La Bicyclette Bleue (The Blue Bicycle) – Régine Deforges
• Bliss – Peter Carey
• Creation – Gore Vidal
• Cujo – Stephen King
• Distant Star – Samuel R. Delany
• Famous Last Words – Timothy Findley
• Flames Across the Border – Pierre Berton
• Giants of the Ottawa Valley – Joan Finnegan
• The Glitter Dome – Joseph Wambaugh
• The Golden Age of Science Fiction – Kingsley Amis
• Goodbye, Janette – Harold Robbins
• Gorky Park – Martin Cruz Smith
• Hotel New Hampshire – John Irving
• An Indecent Obsession – Colleen McCullough
• Licence Renewed – John Gardner
• Masquerade – Kit Williams
• Midnight's Children – Salman Rushdie
• No Time for Tears – Cynthia Freeman
• Noble House – James Clavell
• Other People: A Mystery Story – Martin Amis
• Red Dragon – Thomas Harris
• Strata – Terry Pratchett
• Tar Baby – Toni Morrison
• The Third Deadly Sin – Lawrence Sanders